Tuesday, February 28, 2017

The Winner is-A World of Kindness

With the Academy awards now come and gone, The Posse of Angels and I were thrilled at several of the nominated films and performances. We took note that last year’s crop of movies had wonderful shared themes running through them of acceptance, tolerance and inclusion; which are the recipe for a kinder, gentler world.

The film “Hidden Figures” told the story of three mathematical geniuses. African American women, who worked for Nasa in the 1950’s and helped put the first man into space, yet were not allowed to use ‘white’ bathrooms nor drink out of the same coffee urns as their white colleagues.

“Loving” was the story of an inter-racial couple in the 50’s, Richard and Mildred Loving who broke the law in Virginia when they married and were imprisoned and made to leave their families and the state. They fought the injustice all the way to the Supreme Court which eventually ruled that marriage is an inherent right for all to determine who they wish to marry regardless of race, religion, culture or creed.

The extraordinary film “Moonlight” which won best picture, tells the timeless story of human connection and finding oneself, under extremely harsh circumstances. The film chronicles the life of a young black man struggling to find his place in the world surrounded by rough Miami neighborhoods and growing up with a crack addicted mother.

And the wonderful Australia film “Lion”, about a five-year-old Indian boy who gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia, and years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

In each one of these movies, there was someone who dared to defy and challenge the conventional mores of the times and took a stand to do the right thing, the humane thing by showing kindness and compassion.

This theme of kindness was not only highlighted in the films, but real life reflected the films themes of unity and tolerance by many in the Dolby Theater wearing bright blue ribbons. These very noticeable ribbons were worn to build awareness and show support for the American Civil Liberties Union, and its untiring fight for basic human rights. Since 1920, the ACLU has offered tireless, nonpartisan commitment to protecting individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the constitution and U.S. Law. It has been very much in the forefront of recent news with the banning of refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations and by tirelessly fighting for LGBTQ equality.

This symbol of solidarity with the ACLU acknowledged those in the courts, legislatures and everyday individuals in our communities who wish to have a kinder more inclusive world and to ensure that our precious freedoms and values are preserved.

Like water quenching the thirst of a dying plant, these stirring, inspiring images and stories left many with a feeling of being nourished and fed by a message that touched deep within their souls. Perhaps, it was because each of these films was based on a true story. And if one person can take a stand for what is right and good in this world, then this reflects on how each and every one of us can make a difference in our worlds.

When it comes to practicing kindness, The Posse of Angels recently gave me a big reminder of how important it is to be not only kind and respectful to others, but to be kind to ourselves.

On a recent trip to Australia, I was strolling the beautiful oceanside town of Albany, Western Australia when I came across a homewares and clothing store down by the water. Walking into this beautiful shop, I saw a striking young woman, about 5ft 8in with beautiful long red hair. Greeting me cordially, I browsed the racks and chose a dress to try on in the fitting room. As there was no mirror in the change room, I stepped outside the curtain to view myself in the full-length mirror. As I was looking at myself in rather an uncertain way, the young woman said, “What is it that you are uncertain about the dress?” I immediately launched into an explanation of how I liked the color, but I usually did not wear cap sleeves as sleeveless dresses gave the impression of giving me more height. I continued that the neckline was very high and that I only wore V-neck or scoop necklines and that it was a much longer length then I was used to for my shape. Listening intently to my many criticisms, the sales woman, Jocelyn, nodded and then replied, “I’d like to tell you what happened this morning. When I came to work today, my boss handed me a pair of white pants and told me that I had to wear them all day. Before today, I have never worn white pants as I feel that white makes my rear end look big.” I could not believe what she was saying as she might have been a size 4 or a size 6. She continued, “As I am always telling my customers to take a risk and get out of their comfort zone, I put on the white pants and felt so self-conscious for the first two hours. Yet, after a while, I began to see how flattering they were and now that it is the end of the day, I feel comfortable and beautiful in them.

Still eyeing myself in the dress, Jocelyn said, “Can I tell you the first thing that I noticed about you when you entered the store?” and I said yes please I’d like to know. She then said, “The first thing I saw was not your height nor your body shape, it was your beaming face and your beautiful smile.”

We each have the capacity to choose kindness in our lives and if we can start with being kind to ourselves, then we will be more likely to be kind to others, and experience a world full of kindness.